🚗 AutoDefect IQ

2013 Cadillac Ats problems, complaints & recalls

Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (32) · Engine (23) · Steering (22)

🧭 Reliability snapshot

53 /100
⚠ Known trouble spots — research carefully

Compared against other Cadillac Ats model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →

🛣️ Complaints by mileage

<25k miles: 55 complaints 55 <25k 25–50k miles: 22 complaints 25–50k 50–75k miles: 22 complaints 50–75k 75–100k miles: 12 complaints 75–100k 100–125k miles: 11 complaints 100–125k 125–150k miles: 0 complaints 125–150k 150k+ miles: 2 complaints 150k+

124 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.

161
Complaints
6
Recalls
2,402
Service bulletins
9
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Deaths

Safety recalls (6)

Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System 2015-09-03 · campaign 15V558000 · 96,145 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS sedan vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to September 2, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the coil antenna module that powers the rear defogger system may generate excessive heat due to excessive cycling or continuous operation.

Risk: If the coil antenna generates excessive heat, there is an increased risk of a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electronic Climate Control module to remove the automatic rear defogger "on" function, free of charge. The recall began on October 16, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15299.

Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly 2015-07-24 · campaign 15V463000 · 63,665 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to June 25, 2015. The affected vehicles may experience the roof panel closing automatically when the non-recessed switches are pressed and the roof panel is open. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."

Risk: Because the switch is not recessed, the roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed resulting in unintended auto-closure of the roof panel, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners and dealers will replace the roof console accessory switch trim plate, free of charge. The recall began on August 19, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15568. Note this recall supersedes 15V-106.

Seat Belts:front 2014-08-08 · campaign 14V488000 · 48,114 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Buick Encore vehicles manufactured August 23, 2012, to March 1, 2013, and model year 2013 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to May 1, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and passenger lap belt pretensioner cables may not lock in a retracted position, allowing the seat belts to extend when pulled upon.

Risk: If the seat belts do not remain locked in the retracted position when under load, the seat occupant may not be adequately restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front the driver's and the passenger's lap belt pretensioners, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. GM sent interim notifications on October 7, 2014 and will send a second notification when remedy parts are available. The recall began on November 20, 2014. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14171.

Seats 2014-07-23 · campaign 14V446000 · 124,007 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Buick Encore and Cadillac ATS; 2014 Cadillac CTS, ELR, Chevrolet Caprice and SS vehicles; and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Trucks. Due to an incomplete weld on the seat hook bracket assembly, the front seats in the affected vehicles may not stay secured in place during a high load condition such as a crash.

Risk: A seat that does not stay secured increases the risk of occupant injury in a vehicle crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat hook bracket assembly weld and replace the lower seat track, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14340.

Power Train:automatic Transmission 2014-06-19 · campaign 14V338000 · 90,750 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac ATS vehicles manufactured April 23, 2012, to March 20, 2014, and 2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured June 10, 2013, to March 20, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from either the bracket on the transmission shifter or the bracket on the transmission.

Risk: If the transmission shift cable detaches while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle i

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles to make sure the cable is properly seated at the transmission and shifter brackets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early August 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14179.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights 2013-05-24 · campaign 13V220000 · 10,210 vehicles

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The tot

Risk: If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.

Service bulletins (2,402)

Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.

Unknown Or Other 2026-09-26 · PIT5698F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this pi provides diagnostics tips on how the lin bus works and how to diagnosis it.

Unknown Or Other 2026-09-04 · PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.

Unknown Or Other 2026-04-01 · PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a gds2 session log and upload to a technical assistance case in cx connect.

Unknown Or Other 2026-03-09 · PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.

Unknown Or Other 2026-01-08 · PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions

this preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email gds2 session logs into technical assistance.

Showing the 6 most recent of 2,402 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.

What owners report

2026-10-22 · Power Train

“nhtsa: 14v338 date issued: 2014-06-18 transmission shifter cable detach from transmission. vehicle will not change gears. contacted gm 10/22/26 9:52am est spoke with terran, gm states no details of any repairs, shows inspected 07/15/2014, unable to assist with repairs due to outside of timeframe. my research shows no timeframe or milage limits for …”

2025-09-30 · Air Bags · 💥 crash

“i was in a vehicle accident on 9-26-25 and was t-boned. the other driver hit me at 35-45 after she blew the stopping, i was hit on the driver side pillar and back driver door. my air bags never deployed and i was trapped inside the car until the fire department was on scene …”

2025-08-18 · Steering

“vehicle would not steer lost power steering and loud noise. had the vehicle towed to a mechanic. the mechanic informed me that the bolts for the electronic power steering had corroded causing the electronic steering motor to fall. he told me that it is a problem with these cars and gave me a reference number (n202301950) i called gm and they said i…”

2025-06-02 · Engine

“found metal shavings in oil after 13 visits to 3 different dealerships. engine had to be replaced. under 100,000 mikes with a service contract…”

2025-03-24 · Power Train

“car has a shudder at acceleration acting as if it's in the wrong gear or shifts too soon seems like failing tcc in tge transmission not sure this issue could cause accidents due to car not accelerating fast enough with people behind you they could rear end you…”

2025-03-03 · Engine · 191,000 mi

“the contact owns a 2013 cadillac ats. the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the engine overheated. the contact stated that the a/c was independently turned off due to engine overheating. the contact was able to pull over safely. the contact stated that the coolant reservoir was empty. the contact added coolant, but the engine continued overheati…”

2025-02-23 · Service Brakes

“i’m writing here to state that the cadillac with this vin [xxx] is a fraudulent sale my husband and i have experienced. the car show no damages on carfax but when we took the car to a certified cadillac dealership they said they were shocked we could even drive it. the catalytic converter is completely missing along with several other computer sy…”

2025-02-22 · Fuel/Propulsion System

“car keeps cutting off, when put in neutral, or just cutting on rpm goes up then goes down and cut off, when driving car starts off slow then speed up. put a new fuel pump in the car.…”

2025-01-04 · Steering

“i had a total loss of steering about two weeks ago, scariest thing ever in my 50 years of driving. a local automotive shop inspected the car and found one steering motor bolt missing and two broken/sheared laying in their casting holes.general motors issued a customer satisfaction program 18207 – loss of power steering assist directive for steerin…”

2024-12-19 · Power Train

“my vehicle will shift out of gear but will not move and there is a rattling sound when the gear is tried to be put back in park and rest of gears…”

Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.

Other Cadillac Ats years